Nvidia has launched a low-power version of its graphics processing unit (GPU), so that Asus notebook users do not run out of battery power and the planet does not run out of fossil fuels quite as quickly.

The GeForce G102M notebook GPU was embedded for the first time in an Asus K40IN notebook, on display at CeBIT, Hannover.

Though the GeForce G102M is designed to provide a superior graphics experience for thin, cheap notebooks, the downside is that it could drain the battery. The new system uses 8W less power when running stressful applications.

The new GPU has 16 processor cores which provide up to four times faster graphics performance than Centrino 2 systems, claimed Ben Berraondo, Nvidia’s marketing manager. It includes up to 512MB of dedicated graphics memory to accelerate 1080p HD video playback, photo and video editing, and casual games.

At CeBIT, Asus unveiled its new K-Series notebooks starting with the 14in K40IN which features a GeForce G102M GPU.

The K-Series family also includes K51 15in and K71 17in models featuring the GeForce GT 120M GPU, which as 32 processor cores. Nvidia claims these can provide up to 15 times faster graphics performance than Centrino 2 systems and encode video up to 10 times faster than Core 2 Duo 2.0 GHz processors.